Barbed sleeve for use in medical procedures

Abstract

A sleeve with interior barbs that are designed to grasp a tissue and fix the tissue to a body part such as a bone are described. Optionally, the sleeve exterior surface includes a fastener configured to fix the sleeve relative to the body part. Optionally, the wall of the sleeve includes a plurality of wall holes. Methods of using the barbed sleeve in surgery are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of attaching a soft tissue to a bone of an animal comprising:
 a) creating a hole in a bone; 
 b) providing a tubular barbed sleeve comprising a sleeve interior, a sleeve exterior, a sleeve wall separating the sleeve interior from the sleeve exterior and comprising a wall interior surface facing the sleeve interior and a wall exterior surface, a sleeve front end comprising a sleeve front opening leading to the sleeve interior, a sleeve rear end comprising a sleeve rear opening leading to the sleeve interior, a sleeve length extending from the sleeve front end to the sleeve rear end, a sleeve width perpendicular to the sleeve length, a plurality of interior barbs coupled to the sleeve wall, each interior barb comprising a barb front end extending from the sleeve wall, a free barb rear end located in the sleeve interior and rearwardly disposed relative to the barb front end, and a barb length extending from the barb front end to the barb rear end, wherein the barbed sleeve is comprised of a biocompatible material; 
 c) positioning the barbed sleeve into the hole in the bone; 
 d) providing a soft tissue having a tissue front portion and a tissue rear portion; 
 e) after step c), unidirectionally securing the tissue rear portion in the sleeve interior while the barbed sleeve is positioned within the hole in the bone, wherein the unidirectional securing comprises positioning the tissue rear portion through the sleeve front end and into the sleeve interior such that at least one of the plurality of interior barbs contacts the soft tissue, 
 
       wherein the plurality of interior barbs allows the soft tissue to move rearwardly within the sleeve interior, but prevents the soft tissue from moving forwardly within the sleeve interior, and 
       wherein each of the interior barbs is located fully within the sleeve interior after step e). 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, prior to positioning the soft tissue into the sleeve interior, the soft tissue comprises a tissue length extending from the tissue front portion to the tissue rear portion and a tissue width perpendicular to the tissue length, wherein said plurality of interior barbs comprise at least one pair of interior barbs whose rear ends are located approximately 180 degrees apart and at approximately the same distance from the sleeve front end and further wherein said rear ends of said at least one pair create a space that has a width that is less than the tissue width. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises attaching the tissue front portion to a body part of the animal. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interior barbs are spaced about a perimeter of the sleeve interior and about the sleeve length and further wherein at least a majority of the barbed sleeve length is located in the bone during step e). 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the barbed sleeve is oblong in shape. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve wall comprises a plurality of wall holes extending from the wall interior surface to the wall exterior surface, the plurality of wall holes spaced about a perimeter of the sleeve interior and about the sleeve length and configured to allow vascularization and tissue growth. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve width is not tapered along the sleeve length. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each interior barb has a barb width perpendicular to the barb length and further wherein the barb rear ends have a tapered width. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wall exterior surface comprises a fastener configured to fix the barbed sleeve relative to the bone. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein the fastener is a flange located adjacent to the sleeve rear end and further wherein after step c), the flange contacts a surface of the bone and prevents the sleeve rear end from moving through the hole in the bone, wherein the bone hole comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein step c) comprises inserting the sleeve front end through the first end of the bone hole and step e) comprises inserting the tissue rear portion into the second end of the bone hole. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the flange comprises a flange width, and further wherein the flange width is not perpendicular to the sleeve width and further wherein the flange width is not perpendicular to the sleeve length. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  wherein the fastener comprises threads located on the wall exterior surface. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein the sleeve front end comprises at least one slot and the method further comprises inserting a screwdriver into the at least one slot and turning the screwdriver and the barbed sleeve to fix the barbed sleeve to the bone. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9  wherein the fastener comprises a plurality of exterior barbs coupled to the sleeve wall, each exterior barb comprising an exterior barb rear end extending from the sleeve wall, a free exterior barb front end located in the sleeve exterior and forwardly disposed relative to the exterior barb rear end, and a length extending from the exterior barb front end to the exterior barb rear end.